Ferry, and the Seventeenth, which formed the right, at the railroad-bridge, eight miles below. No tents were taken with us, and all, from the General Commanding to the rank and file, bivouacked by a thousand camp fires in the open air, on the first night, five miles east of Black River, having marched a distance of twenty miles. One brigade of cavalry, under command of Colonel Winslow, and a battalion, commanded by Captain John Foster, accompanied the expedition, and on the morning of the fourth, Foster's advance-guard was met by Adams's rebel cavalry, at Champion Hills, who charged upon our small force, running over them, and taking seven prisoners. Their loss was one man killed and one wounded and left on the field. Captain Foster pushed forward and made a dash upon the enemy, and routed him with considerable loss. Their forces, consisting of about seven thousand men, commanded by Generals Wirt Adams, Ross, and Ferguson, and the whole under command of General S. D. Lee, then fell back to a commanding position on the west side of Baker's Creek, where our cavalry force encountered them in the afternoon, and were unable to dislodge them until an infantry force of the Seventeenth corps came up to join in the assault. The enemy had several pieces of artillery which he used upon us at this point with considerable effect. Our loss here was fifteen killed and a proportionate number wounded. The Tenth Missouri cavalry suffered most, but company I, Twelfth Wisconsin infantry, lost three men by a shell from the enemy, and Colonel Rogers, of the Fifteenth Illinois, was slightly wounded by a rifle-shot. At sundown the enemy had been driven across Baker's Creek, and we held the bridge during the night with two twenty-pounder Parrotts, supported by two regiments of infantry. During the night General McPherson communicated by one of his aids, Lieutenant Vernay, with General Hurlbut, who lay six miles north of us, and learned that the enemy was stubbornly disputing his advance. At sunrise, on the morning of the fifth, the enemy commenced a heavy artillery-fire upon us from the crest of a long ridge which ran parallel with Baker's Creek and three fourths of a mile distant from it. An open level plain lay between us, and the enemy's column could be distinctly seen from our camp in line of battle. The third and fourth divisions of the Seventeenth corps, Brigadier-Generals Leggett and Crocker commanding, were thrown across the creek, and formed in line of battle, facing the enemy, while our Parrotts replied rapidly to the call made upon them by the enemy's guns. Twenty minutes were consumed in forming the line of battle, when the word "forward" was sounded along the lines, and the troops moved forward steadily, coolly, irresistibly. It was a spectacle which, for dazzling splendor, has been seldom equalled, never excelled. Our troops were formed in two columns, about half a mile in length, and with an interval of two hundred yards between, the whole preceded by a strong line of skirmishers; and as all moved forward with the precision of clock-work, with banners and battleflags unfurled, and ten thousand bayonets blazing in the light of a bright morning sun, while a solid column of sullen, grim "graybacks" stood waiting their approach, each of us felt proud to claim a place in the army of the United States. Our troops were anxious, and all preparations had been made for a determined and desperate onset; but they were doomed to disappointment. When our front column came within long riflerange, the ranks of the enemy broke, and they fled in confusion. Our men went forward at a double-quick with a terrible yell, and overtook the retreating foe in a dense skirt of timber in rear of their position, and cut them to pieces badly, killing and wounding a great number of men and horses, all of which fell into our hands. Our loss here was about twenty-five killed and wounded. The enemy retreated as fast as possible, and passed through Clinton as our advance entered the town. The road from Messenger's came in here, and the Sixteenth corps came in after the Seventeenth had passed through the place. Lee again planted his artillery in such a manner as to command the road two miles east of Clinton, but was soon routed, with slight damage to us. At this point, Lieutenant-Colonel William T. Clark's horse was shot from under him, and he received a slight scratch on the hand from a rifle-ball. We passed forward as rapidly as possible, and at ten o'clock P.M., the Seventeenth army corps/bivouacked among the ruins of the fallen city of Jackson. Our cavalry had pressed the enemy closely to this point, and as he entered the town was compelled to abandon a fine Whitworth gun, which fell into our hands. From here the enemy went north, to Canton, and crossed Pearl River, and marched again to our front, with his forces augmented by the addition of General Loring's division of infantry, seven thousand strong. The sixth was consumed in constructing a pontoon-bridge across Pearl River, and in destroying a large amount of public stores and arms, and the track of the Mississippi Central Road, which had been repaired a short time before by the confederate forces. Five of General Jackson's couriers were captured during the day, and from despatches found on their persons, we learned that their loss so far had been two hundred and fifty men killed and wounded. On the twelfth, we crossed Pearl River, and marched twelve miles to Brandon. A small force of rebel cavalry skirmished with our advance-guard all day, and we took several prisoners, and captured a number of horses and mules. A large lot of corn-meal and other subsistence stores were found and destroyed. We also obtained late files of Southern papers, one of which contained a correspondence from one Miss Latham, who was expelled from our lines some time since for taking on "horse-airs" in church. It made the startling announcement to the Southern public, that the "Yanks" had added an other animal to their menagerie in the person of "Beast McPherson." The General felt badly, but could not weep. never discovered it, unless the fellow meant Meridian, which we reached on the morning of the fifteenth, having marched one hundred and On the eighth, we encountered the enemy, sixty miles in eleven days, with a desperate foe fourteen thousand strong, at a point he had hovering upon our front, flank, and rear, durselected to check our progress, but a charge ing nearly every hour of the march. made by our cavalry, and a few rounds from Before we reached Meridian, General Force our infantry, soon scattered them, and they was sent to Chunky Station to destroy dépôt again marched eastward in disorder. They warehouses and a large amount of trestle-work, formed their line of battle in front of a house which he accomplished. He was attacked by occupied by a family, and a woman was unfor- Lee's cavalry, but soon put them to flight with tunately killed by one of our skirmishers. Lieu- severe loss. General Force captured and detenant-Colonel Strong, under instructions from stroyed his train of seven wagons, all he had the General commanding, procured a coffin, and with him. Our loss was three men wounded, in had the body decently interred. the Forty-fifth Illinois infantry. A large number of prisoners and deserters Meridian was a town made up of supply and were brought in at this place, who all agreed railroad dépôts, storehouses, hospitals, officers' in saying that their army was in a most wretch-quarters, etc., all of which were burned. A ed state of demoralization, and that they were large amount of shelled corn, salt, sugar, mea!, determined not to fight-that every preparation | bacon, and beef was found, which we either conhad been made here for fighting a desperate bat- sumed or destroyed. tle, and the officers made every effort to bring their forces into it, but utterly failed. The men said they had been defeated and cut to pieces by superior numbers repeatedly, under bad leadership; that they had retreated, and been harassed until they had no heart to fight and would not. One regiment was disarmed and sent back in arrest, and when volunteers were called for to attempt to hold their ground, they could not find an hundred to the regiment who were willing to make the trial. Detachments of the army went toward Mobile, Selma, and Columbus, Mississippi, and destroyed the track, trestle-work, bridges, and dépôts in all directions from Meridian. At Enterprise, a large amount of public stores, and several large supply dépôts and hospital buildings were destroyed. At Meridian, we found a large arms manufactory in successful operation, and it, with a large number of guns, was consumed by fire. The army marched, on the twentieth, for Canton, coming on a route north of the one going The Seventeenth corps halted at Morton Sta-out; arrived at Canton on the twenty-sixth, tion on the ninth, and the Sixteenth corps passed to the front. Great numbers of dead mules and horses lay along the road; wagons, ammunition, blankets, clothing, and guns, were scattered by the wayside, and all went to show the disastrous effects of that disorderly retreat. We passed through Hillsboro, a town of about twenty houses, on the tenth, and on the eleventh passed on toward Decatur. During the day, Foster's cavalry was sent to Lake Station, on the Southern railroad, where they destroyed three steam-mills, two locomotives, thirty-five cars, dépôt, and machine-shop. We encamped at Decatur, a dilapidated old town, on the night of the twelfth, and destroyed a large tannery. While the supply-train of the Sixteenth corps was passing through the place, Jackson's cavalry made a dash at it, and killed twenty-four mules, when a regiment of infantry came up and sent them howling to the woods, with a loss of several horses, and one man killed and one wounded. During the march of the thirteenth, they made a similar attempt upon the train of the Seventeenth corps, but were driven off before any damage was done. On the fourteenth, we received word from the rebels that they would make a determined stand at "Summit Hill," a few miles in advance, and we began to look for a fight; but when we reached that point, we found a board nailed to a tree, upon which was written, in frightfully unmistakable characters: "13 miles to Hell" But it proved to be a migratory locality, as we where it remained several days. Colonel Winslow had a severe skirmish with Adams's forces on the twenty-seventh, and on the twenty-ninth the same rebel force attacked and captured a forage-train of sixteen wagons, sent out by the Sixteenth corps. At Canton, twenty-one locomotives were captured and destroyed, together with a large number of cars and other public property. When we reached this point, we heard a great many rumors from General Smith's cavalry force, in most of which they claimed to have defeated Smith and driven him back. General Sherman left his command at Canton, and came on with an escort to this place. The troops moved from there yesterday, and will be here in a day or two. Some of the fruits of the expedition are the destruction of three hundred miles of railroad, cutting off all means of transportation this side of the Tombigbee, burning thirty mills, three thousand bales of confederate cotton, destroying twenty-five locomotives, one hundred cars, the capture of about five hundred prisoners, and between ten thousand and fifteen thousand negroes, who are on their way to this place. Besides this, about three hundred wagons and several thousand horses and mules were taken. The enemy, except a small cavalry force, was driven from the State, and all means of his occupying the country in force cut off. Our troops subsisted on the country, and found large supplies of corn, etc., for stock, and subsistence for the men. Every thing was taken but what was actually necessary for the subsistence of families residing on the line of march. A great deal of property was destroyed and many houses burned in all the towns we passed through -some of them unnecessarily perhaps, but it is accounted for by the fact that we did not enter a town, except Canton, from which we were not fired upon. From Jackson to Meridian there is nothing but a succession of pine barrens and almost interminable swamps, across which the pioneer corps, under the direction of Captain Hickenlooper, constructed many miles of corduroy road before the trains could pass over. whole day in one place and seeing it pass. Our first day's march was not marked by any incidents of importance, save the excitement and commotion of getting fairly under way. We arrived at Black River about sunset, and encamped on the west side. The country from Vicksburgh to Black River is very rough, and the whole, as far as can be seen from the road, is one continued scene of desolation-deserted plantations, blackened chimneys, and fenceless fields, tell of the gloomy past. On the morning of the fourth we were again on the march at eight o'clock, passed safely over Black River on a pontoon-bridge, (small "flat-boats" laid side by side, fastened I have not time nor space to relate incidents with ropes on each side of the river, and planked of the trip, but a report made to General Polk by over.) A short distance on the east side of the a citizen scout whom he had sent out to ascertain river we passed through the battle-field of last our numbers, intentions, destination, etc., should summer; large trees cut entirely off, others split not be lost. He had probably seen our wagon and shattered and scarred, tell of the terrible train, which required five hours to pass a given missiles which laid many a brave soldier woundpoint, and became frightened at it, as his official ed and lifeless upon the bloody field. We travreport will show. It was that "there were pre- elled slowly all day, and the same scene of desocisely one hundred and fifty thousand Yanks, lation presented the day before was again witand that they were coming like damnation!-nessed to-day; in the evening we passed the that each one had a label on the front of his hat, on which was the inscription, in large letters, Mobile or hell!'" About this time our cavalry entered the town, and the General mounted his horse and skedaddled. This was related to me by citizens, and is not a romance. ANOTHER ACCOUNT. SIXTEENTH IOWA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY, CANTON, MR. EDITOR: General Sherman having taken the job of "cleaning out" Mississippi, we have 'gone and done it," making a clear track from Vicksburgh to Demopolis, and are this far on our return, stopping a few days here to finish up a few little jobs, such as destroying twenty-three locomotives, a number of freight and passengercars, gather in a few thousand head of horses and mules, destroy a few miles of railroad, etc. But to the expedition: we shall not attempt to give you all the particulars, nor half the important results of this expedition; but simply attempt to interest you by a narration of such incidents as may have transpired within our own observation, leaving the particulars and more important parts to those whose business it is to note these, and whose opportunities for knowing what has been accomplished are better than ours, a non-combatant in the rear of a regiment. On the evening of the second, we received marching orders, and at eight o'clock next morning were on the road. The expedition consisted of the Sixteenth army corps, and the Third and Fourth, and the Iowa brigade of the First division of the Seventeenth army corps, the whole estimated at about thirty thousand strong. The train consisted of about one thousand wagons, beside a large number of corps ambulances; you can perhaps imagine the majestic appearance of such an immense body of men and animals and wagons in motion; but to realize the scene requires a personal observation, obtained only by standing a place near Champion Hills where the rebels burned our wagon train last summer; a portion of the wreck still remains. At Champion Hills our front had a severe skirmish with the rebel cavalry; a number of both armies were killed and taken prisoners, but how many I have not learned, and do not expect to until I see it in Northern papers. We passed the battle-field of Champion Hills in the night, so we did not get to see that historical ground. About eleven o'clock at night we went into camp three miles west of Clinton, the "boys" in fine spirits, singing and laughing during the tedious night march as gayly as though they were approaching home, anticipating sweet repose on downy pillows' instead of "grassy couches." The next morning we were awakened by heavy firing in front, and on looking round found marked evidences of there having been considerable fighting yesterday at the place where we were encamped; the rebs had made rail stockades, (rails built up in the form of a very acute fence-corner,) several horses lay dead and wounded, and some pieces of "grayback" uniforms lay around loose. The firing continued sharper and fiercer while we took breakfast and prepared to advance, but by the time we got started the reports were fewer and farther off. It was amusing to hear the talk among the boys as they listened to the booming of cannon and cracks of musketry; remarks like the following could be heard: "Them fellows in front are getting their veteran bounty." "Yes, in hard money, too; don't you hear them plank it down on the table?" After breakfast we moved forward, and within about a mile and a half from our place of encampment came to the place where our front had been engaged. The first thing I observed was a cap, half of which was torn off. I presumed some boy had torn it up and thrown it away; but a few steps brought me to the place where its former wearer lay, the front and top of his head blown entirely off, and by his side lay his comrade, his head entirely gone-both killed, I afterward learned, by the explosion of a shell from a rebel field-piece. They were laid side by side preparatory to burial, and near them a leg which had been amputated on the field, a little further on the spot where the catastrophe occurred, was plainly shown; it was by the side of a large gate which opened into a field by the roadside; the boards were bespattered with brains and blood, and pools of blood and pieces of skull lay on the ground. It was indeed a sad, sickening sight. A little further on, several dead rebels lay in the woods; dead and wounded horses lay by the roadside. We do not know how many were killed and wounded here; all we could see were those near the road -five rebels and two Union soldiers. One of the rebels, when shot, had five fine hams of meat tied on his horse before him; being shot through the abdomen, our boys, after an examination, concluded they would not try the quality of the meat, not relishing the rebel blood with which it was covered. Our portion of the army passed on as if nothing had occurred, arriving at Clinton about noon. Clinton is at present a very dilapidated-looking place, being visited once before and partially destroyed by our army. There is a Female Seminary there, a very fine building, but we judge poorly patronized these times. The country around is hilly, the soil red clay mixed with sand. Our brigade did not halt in Clinton, but passed on perhaps one half-mile, and halted opposite a grave-yard, where we nooned. While lying here the fighting in front became more severe. A number of wounded were brought back to Clinton, and several dead buried in the graveyard where we lay. One poor boy of the Seventeenth Illinois was struck with a piece of shell on the neck, killing him instantly, though the skin was not broken. He stood but a short distance from us looking at the skirmishers in front. He was but a lad, a new recruit, and this his first and last campaign. Several balls and shells passed over us, one striking a soldier on the thigh, standing on the railroad track, a short distance on our left. About three o'clock P.M., we again started, the skirmishing in front still continuing, but the firing gradually getting farther off and less frequent, the rebels falling back. This continued until ten o'clock at night, when we went into camp (or rather bivouacked, as we had no tents) one mile west of Jackson. The country we passed through that day was much better than heretofore, fine oak timber and well watered. After passing Clinton, the plantations were much larger and better (or rather had been) but they are now houseless and fenceless. We saw none of the killed and wounded of that day except those brought back to the graveyard, as the fighting was off the road; there was, however, quite a number on both sides. I understood from the Medical Director of our corps that we had forty-five wounded at Clinton. We came across the body of a rebel soldier near the graveyard, which they had commenced burying, but we pushed them so closely that they left, having only put a few shovelfuls of dirt on him. The train was delayed from some cause during the day, and did not get up that night; consequently the officers had no blankets, it being quite cold. It was really amusing to see them shiver around their camp-fires the livelong night, some trying to go to sleep, others to keep awake, and all in not a very amiable mood toward any one, but especially quartermasters, wagonmasters, and teamsters. On the sixth, we remained in camp until noon, waiting for other troops to pass. Near Jackson, we halted before a most beautiful mansion, surrounded in a delightful manner with landscape garden, evergreens and forest trees; quite a variety of flowers were in full bloom. The rebels made a stand near this the day before; our cavalry made a charge upon them, capturing a very fine field-piece, all complete, with ten rounds of shell and eight horses. Several were killed in the charge. At two o'clock we entered Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, which in its day was a very pretty place, but before we left, it was almost a mass of smoking ruins. The Iowa brigade being sent in advance to guard the pioneer corps while constructing a pontoon across Pearl River, we entered the town with bands playing and colors floating in the breeze. It was truly a vivid picture of war to see the streets filled with armed men, squares of large brick buildings on fire, furniture of every description, from rocking-cradles to pianos, clothing, books, in fact almost every article of domestic utility and ornament, piled upon the sidewalks. Women and children running hither and thither, pictures of the most abject despair. There was no protection given the town, and but little mercy shown, as this was the third time our army had been compelled to come here, and we judge General Sherman rightly concluded that he would obviate all necessity of having to come again. We marched to the lower part of the town, and halted near the river, where the pioneers were at work. The rebels having repaired this road-N. O. I. and Grenada road—were busily engaged constructing means for getting their rolling stock over the river, and we came upon them so suddenly, that they left all their flatboats and lumber for our use, which we of course appropriated, and in a few hours were ready to cross. After halting and stacking arms, I do not think it was ten minutes before the boys had torn down several frame houses for fuel. Weatherboards make fine fuel, and I think a regiment or two of soldiers can appropriate the boards off a two-story house about as quick as up North they would gather a basket of chips. We had an opportunity of conversing with several citizens here, mostly ladies, and although they are driven to the greatest straits for the simple necessaries of life-flour two dollars per pound, sugar four dollars per pound, calico ten to twelve dollars per yard-they are rebels still. Walking along the street, a lady accosted us with: "What brought you all back here again?" “Well," we replied, "it has been about a year since w were here last, and we thought we would come and see how your Confederacy flourished." "We didn't want you to come,' she replied; “but if you are here, what do you burn all our houses for." Why," we answered, "this is the third time we have had to come here, and the fact of the matter is, it wears out so much shoe-leather walking over these sandy roads, that we concluded to finish the job this time." "Well, sir, you will have to kill the women too; for, after you have killed all our men, us women will fight you." "If that be the case," we answered, "I presume we might as well commence now as any time, but as I don't like to commence on as good a looking lady as you, I will go back to the regiment and send the ugliest man we have to undertake the job." We started off accompanied by a flash from her eyes almost as vivid as the angry flames bursting from the windows of the burning houses near by. We stopped in a house near where we were encamped, and found a lady with four small children, from Selma, Alabama. She had got this far on her way to Vicksburgh, but could go no farther, as they would not take her from Jackson to Vicksburgh for less than five hundred dollars, a sum which she could by no means obtain; so here she was with her little children and nothing to eat not even corn-meal. One of the boys came and ground some coffee on her coffee-mill and gave her a millful for the accommodation. She seemed very thankful, and said it was the first she had got since the war commenced; that in Selma coffee was ten dollars per pound. She told a sad tale of the state of affairs in Alabama. Some of her friends and nearest neighors had been hunted down by dogs, and one of them was literally torn to pieces; provisions were at starvation prices, and the whole country under a military despotism. The State House is a very fine building. It, I believe, was the only good building that was not burned. The boys "captured" turkeys, geese, pigs, chickens, calves, etc., in sufficient quantities to give them at least one good meal; also, tobacco enough to do them through a month's campaign. Some of the citizens were very anxious that we should occupy and protect the city, for the question, "Where will we get any thing to live upon after you all leave?" was a very important one, vividly suggested to every reasoning mind: but as they made their bed, so must they lie. In the evening we crossed Pearl River and encamped in a low, wet bottom, about a mile east of Jackson; the light from which, illuminated the heavens during the night. the farmers stood at the gate with buckets and tubs of water to give the boys a drink as they passed along-very kind in them-but a dodge, which did not, as they intended, save the contents of their hen and smoke-houses from being "appropriated" to the use of the "inevitable soldier," who seems to have an irrepressible longing for fat poultry and nicely-smoked hams. We found some rebel "hard tack" on the road, and we judge they too would require something oily to help it down; it is hard tack to all intents and purposes, made of unbolted flour and cornmeal. On the morning of the seventh, we commenced march at eight o'clock The road having at one time been graded for a plank-road, was very fine, and we advanced rapidly, our brigade being in front. We arrived at Brandon, the county-seat of Rankin County, about noon, without seeing or hearing any thing of the enemy. Our regiment was stationed in town as provost-guards, which gave us an opportunity of looking around. were quartered in a grove surrounding a large brick building, used as a church below and a seminary above. We Before I had dismounted, I was somewhat amused and a little sorry for a venerable-looking Southern gentleman, who came riding with great dignity into our camp, on a very fine horse. He had scarcely got into the yard when three cavalrymen rode up to him and demanded his horse; he refused at first, but finally succumbed, dismounted, and one of the soldiers got off an old, poor, jaded-looking animal, handed the venerable gentleman the reins, mounted the old fellow's blooded steed, and all three rode off in a hurry. Seeing the old gentleman looking rather distressed, I rode up and asked: "What's the matter, neighbor? "Why, sir," he answered, "I am the Mayor of the town; I came here in search of General McPherson, to make some arrangement by which we could be protected, and they have taken my horse from me!" "Bad enough!" we replied; "these Yankees are terrible fellows, and you had better watch very closely, or they will steal your town before morning." As he turned and rode away on his poor, old, worn-out cavalry-horse, looking like the personification of grief, seated on a very badly-carved monument of the equine race, we thought it about the best instance of stealing a horse and selling a mare (mayor) on record, and was worthy of being kept among the archives of the Southern Confederacy. Brandon is a very pretty little town of some eight hundred inhabitants, and has some very pretty residences and a fine court-house, and before we came there it had some fine brick blocks, The country around Jackson is quite good, railroad dépôts, etc., which are now non est. and previous to rebellion was cultivated. There Every thing, however, looks neglected. Remarkis still some farming going on, although working this to a citizen, he said they had been unseemed to be suspended in honor of our arrival, (or perhaps more from fear of having their teams confiscated.) We noticed that considerable fence had been made recently, and some ground already ploughed for spring-planting. Many of able to get nails for two years past, and could repair nothing. There seems to have been considerable wealth and quite as much aristocracy here in former days, both of which are rapidly declining. |